Christmas Wish
by Tayjena
Summary: Tifa's one wish this Christmas is to take back what she'd said, but what she gets is so much more.


Title: Christmas Wish

Author: Tayjena

Pairings: ZackxTifa, implied CloudxAerith

Warnings: sap, slight au, Last Order spoiler

Disclaimer: Purely for enjoyment, I don't own a thing except for some typos.

Notes: While cooking for Christmas I felt like writing something for the season and this is what came of it.

It was the night before Christmas; Tifa was finishing tucking in Marlene and Denzel. She set down the classic Christmas story and stood up and drew the blankets up tighter around the sleeping form of Denzel and brushed the hair out of his face before kissing his forehead. Then she moved to Marlene's side and kissed her cheek and pulled her blankets up as well.

The little girl stirred and glanced up at Tifa. "Tifa?"

The young woman sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at her. "Marlene. You're supposed to be asleep. Santa can't come if you're not asleep." She smiled sweetly at her.

Marlene shifted to sit up against the headboard of her bed. "What's your Christmas wish?"

Tifa blinked at her. "My Christmas wish?"

"Yea. What did you asked Santa for?"

Tifa smiled at the innocence of the girl, and thought for a moment. There was only one thing she could think of. "Well a few years ago, a very bad man hurt a lot of people I cared about and me. And another guy went to stop him, but before he did, I said some pretty mean things to him. I wish I hadn't done that."

"Why did you say them?"

Tifa frowned. How could she explain her pain to her? "I was angry and hurt. Things didn't go the way I thought they would. And I just took it out on him because he was there."

Marlene stared at her. The young girl seemed to sense more, and also sensed that Tifa didn't want to explain further. "Can't you just find him and tell him you're sorry?"

Tifa sighed. "No. I need Santa's help for that too…"

"Oh…"

"Now," Tifa picked her up and laid her back down, "it's time for you to go to sleep." She pulled the blankets up around her.

Marlene nodded.

Tifa smiled. "Goodnight Marlene." She walked to the door and flipped off the lights and stepped out of the room, leaving the door open just a crack as she went downstairs.

"How's it coming?" She asked Cloud as she saw him struggling to finish wrapping the last of the presents.

Cloud looked at the ones he'd wrapped and compared them to the ones that she had done earlier.

She laughed softly. "They're fine. The paper won't be on for more than five minutes tomorrow anyway."

Cloud nodded. "You're right."

"Why don't you go to bed, I can finish this up."

"Are you sure?"

Tifa smiled back at him and nodded. "Of course. I still need to wrap your present anyway." She laughed softly.

Could gave her a slight smile and stood up. He peeled some pieces of tape off his clothes and brushed bits of wrapping paper out of his hair and off his self. Stepping over the presents, he made his way over to Tifa. Stopping to kiss her cheek first, he then proceeded upstairs.

"Merry Christmas, Tifa. Goodnight."

"Merry Christmas, Cloud. Night."

She smiled as he ascended the stairs and she shifted the boxes around to make room for herself. Then she set to wrapping the few remaining gifts and stacked everything neatly under the tree. Lastly she retrieved Cloud's present from behind the bar. After wrapping it she set it under the tree as well.

After a bit of time cleaning up, she collapsed onto the couch and thought about what she'd told Marlene. It was truly the only thing she wished for. To take back what she'd said that day.

When she thought about it, she could still feel the heat of the flames, the blade of Sephiroth's sword.

She closed her eyes and suddenly could see the stairs inside the reactor, the ones leading to where Sephiroth had gone.

And she could still hear that voice:

"Tifa… Tifa…! Tifa!" Zack called to her.

She fought to open her eyes. "Zack…?" Her head spun as she relived the past. She felt pain through her whole body. She couldn't move and she could feel herself growing weaker.

"Sephiroth did this to you right Tifa?"

"Yes…" She breathed softly. She caught the horrorstruck look on his face. "You guys… came to this village… just for an investigation, right? That's why I guided you guys here… It was just for that… But why did it turn out like…"

"Tifa…" There was sadness in his voice.

Tifa stared up at him. She knew this dream. Knew what came next. "I hate it…" No. This time she wasn't going to say it. Zack, he wasn't part of what had happened. "Shin-Ra, SOLDIER," She shook as she tried desperately to gain control of the dream and her mouth. "And…" (1) She broke off. She'd finally stopped those words. "Take care." Her voice was soft.

Zack stood up. "I'm sorry." She blinked. He was still apologizing to her. But his next words were different than all the times before. "Don't worry Tifa. Let me put an end to this."

Her vision slowly began to blur as she watched him go up the stairs.

"No… Don't… Don't go…" She willed her hand to move, to reach for him.

She knew he heard her. His footsteps hesitated just slightly and he glanced back down at her.

And then he was gone.

"Don't…" she muttered again. "I love you…"

So lost in the apparent dream was Tifa, that when she heard her name being called and felt the gloved fingertips brushing her forehead, she mumbled.

"Cloud… so you really did come for me…"

Then she heard him laugh. How could he laugh when she was in so much pain?

"Tifa, wake up." He shook her lightly.

Tifa opened her eyes and found Cloud staring at her. The pain that had filled her entire being was now gone and along with it the sense of regret she'd been carrying around with her all these years.

She sat up surprised that she was in her bed. "I had the strangest dream…"

"About Nibelheim."

She nodded. "Finally took back all those mean things I said to Zack."

Cloud scoffed at her. "You said mean things to Zack? He's not going to be happy to hear that when he gets back."

Tifa stared at him. "When he gets back? Cloud, what are you talking about? Zack's dead."

Cloud turned to her. "And you dreamt he was dead? You did have a strange dream. Tifa just cause he's a little late doesn't mean he's dead."

"Cloud…"

He shook his head. "Come on everyone's waiting for you downstairs. And I've got a big surprise for you." He smiled at her.

She sighed and climbed out of bed. "Alright. But Cloud, please, stay away from the eggnog today." She grabbed her black bathrobe off the back of the door and followed him downstairs.

Her mouth dropped open and she stared at the woman in pink that greeted her as she reached the bottom.

"Good morning Tifa."

"Aerith?" She was so excited to see her friend again; she didn't even care how it came to be that she was there. Tifa just embraced her tightly.

Aerith giggled and hugged her back. "Merry Christmas, Tifa."

"Merry Christmas." Tifa moved to Cloud, and hugged him as well. "I don't know what's going on, or how this happened. But thanks. It's a wonderful surprise."

Cloud hugged her, then stepped back a bit to look at her. "You're still acting a bit strange Tifa. Aerith isn't your surprise. She came with me yesterday remember?"

Tifa blinked, but then decided whatever was happening, she was just going to enjoy it. "Right." She put on her best smile. "So what IS my surprise?"

"Me." The answer came from behind her in a voice that haunted her dreams.

Tifa froze in place.

After a bit of encouragement from Cloud, she was able to move again and she turned to see in the doorway to the kitchen, still as handsome as he'd been in her dream, Zack.

"Zack?" She half cried, half cheered. "But how…?"

He beamed at her. "Came in last night, found you asleep on the couch and took you to bed." His blue-green eyes sparkled as he watched her face light up. Then he pointed over his head to the mistletoe above the door. "I'm home babe."

Her feet moved to him while her brain was still trying to process what was happening. Then she placed a hand on his cheek and the other raked through his black hair.

Zack caught her in his arms and kissed her deeply. She just melted into him. This was turning out to be the best Christmas ever. How all this was happening faded from her thoughts as she returned his kiss eagerly.

She broke the kiss and stared at his face. "I had a dream about you."

"Oh?" His eyes twinkled and the grin on his face grew. "Was I any good?"

"Zack!" She playfully punched his shoulder. "It wasn't that kind of dream. It was about Nibelheim."

"Oh…" His grin faded slightly. "I remember your last words to me were 'don't go'."

She shook her head. "No." Cinnamon eyes met azure. "They were 'I love you', you were just too far away to hear it."

His face lit up again. "Well I heard it now." Then he swept her into his arms, kissing her once more.

At the end of the day, after all the food was gone or put away for night and all the presents opened, Tifa looked over all her gathered friends, her family, and smiled. Everyone who mattered to her was there and it didn't matter how.

Then she looked down at the ring Zack had placed on her finger earlier. He'd proposed and she'd said yes without thinking.

But it was more than she could have ever hoped for and she didn't regret it.

"Tifa." Aerith's voice broke her thoughts. "There's one more present for you." She handed over a small box. "There's no name on it."

Tifa lifted the lid and opened it, and inside was just a small white card with gold lettering which read:

Because taking back what you'd said wasn't all you wanted.

Merry Christmas, Tifa.

Santa

She smiled and a tear came to her eyes.

A few minutes later, after Barrett had said goodnight to his daughter and everyone else had said goodnight to Marlene and Denzel, Tifa slipped into their room and sat on Marlene's bed.

"Did you get everything you wanted?"

"Yes Tifa. Thank you." Marlene smiled sleepily. "Did you Tifa?" She asked innocently.

Tifa smiled and kissed her cheek. "Everything and more." Tifa looked over her shoulder to find Zack standing in the hallway waiting for her. "So much more. Thank you, Marlene." She leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Tifa rose from the bed and left the room, and went into her new fiancée's arms, happy to see what this new life had in store.

The End.

Taken from Last Order

Merry Christmas and may all your wishes come true this season.

Tayjena


End file.
